Agenda and minutes

Councillors and officers to declare any interests which they may have in any of the items on the Summons for the meeting.

Councillors and officers were invited to declare any interests which they had in any of the items on the Summons.

The following interests were declared:-

Personal Interest

Personal and Prejudicial Interests

It was noted that the Standards Committee had approved a wide dispensation to enable any member with a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest or a Personal and Prejudicial interest in any item under consideration as part of the budget setting to take part and vote at the meeting.

To receive any questions from and provide answers to the public in relation to matters relevant to the Council’s activities.

Members of the public were invited to put questions to the Mayor and Councillors on matters within the powers and duties of the Council.

Two public questions were submitted in advance of the meeting from questioners who was not present at the meeting and in accordance with the procedure for asking questions it was stated that written responses would be provided.

To receive petitions, and by prior arrangement, receive delegations and presentations from members of the public, community groups or partnership organisations.

There were no petitions or presentations.

To consider a report of the Leader of the Council (Policy, Reform & Finance)

The Leader of the Council (Policy, Reform & Finance) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) in support of the 2013/14 budget and the Medium Term Financial Plan for 2013/17.

RESOLVED – That the Medium Term Financial Strategy as detailed at Appendix One to the report  be approved and adopted.

(a)       Medium Term Financial Plan - Financial Landscape and Forecasts 2013/14 to 2016/17

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services.

(b)       Medium Term Financial Plan - Executive Proposals (Revenue Budget, Fees and Charges and Capital Programme)

To consider a report of the Leader of the Council (Policy, Reform and Finance).

(a)       Medium Term Financial Plan - Financial Landscape and Forecasts 2013/14 to 2016/17

The Leader of the Council (Policy, Reform & Finance) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update the forecasts for the Council’s finances for the period 2013/14 to 2016/17 taking account of the 2013/14 final local government finance settlement and the revised 2014/15 provisional settlement published on 4 February 2013.

RESOLVED – That the updated forecasts for the Council’s finances for the period 2013/14 to 2016/17 taking account of the 2013/14 final local government finance settlement and the revised 2014/15 provisional settlement published on 4 February 2013 be noted.

(b)       Medium Term Financial Plan - Executive Proposals (Revenue Budget, Fees and Charges and Capital Programme)

The Leader of the Council (Policy, Reform & Finance) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) finalising the Executive’s Revenue Budget Proposals for 2013/14, Fees and Charges for 2013/14 and Capital Programme Investment Plans. It also outlined the prospects for the Council’s finances for the medium term. The report also discussed the overarching priorities and desired outcomes upon which the Executive had based its budget proposals, and which would form the basis of a revised council plan to be prepared and submitted for approval to the Council in June.

RESOLVED – (32 for, 30 against) That the Council Meeting:-

(1) Notes the additional savings proposals set out in section five of the report and summarised at Appendix Three.

(2) Notes the proposed treatment of NHS Funding for Social Care, Public Health Grant and New Homes Bonus as set out in paragraphs 4.15 to 4.23 of the report.

(3) Notes the amendments to the schedule of Fees and Charges for 2013/14 as set out in Annex One.

(4) Approves the Budget for 2013/14 set out in Appendix Five.

(5) Notes the financial forecasts for 2014/15 to 2016/17 (Appendix Six), and the key issues to be addressed in formulating a responseto the continuing financial challenges facing the Council.

(6) Approves the appropriate Council Tax resolutions which produce a Council Tax increase of 2.5% for Council services as illustrated at Appendix Eleven.

(7) Approves the 2013/14 to 2015/16 capital programme and the funding arrangements set out at Appendix Nine.

(8) Approves the prudential indicators set out in Appendix Ten.

(9) Approves the work being carried out on the development of capital projects to enable the Executive to be able to review revise and extend its capital programme during 2013/14.

(10) Noted the risk assessment of the budget at Appendix Seven and the report of the Corporate Director, Corporate and Support Services on the adequacy of proposed financial reserves and robustness of the estimates included at Appendix Eight.

A named vote was requested in relation to the voting on this resolution and the voting was recorded as follows:-

The councillors who voted for the resolution were:-

The Mayor; Councillors Ben Alexander, Shan Alexander, Andrew Bispham, Stuart Bodsworth, Peter Burns, Martin Candler, Christine Corris, Stuart Corris, Sue Derbyshire, Kevin Dowling, Chris Gordon, Lenny Grice, Daniel Hawthorne, Kevin Hogg, Keith Holloway, Sylvia Humphreys, Susan Ingham, Pam King, Mags Kirkham, Hazel Lees, Patrick McAuley, Adrian Nottingham, Wendy Orrell, John Pantall, Paul Porgess, Iain Roberts, June Somekh, Mark Weldon, Mike Wilson, Craig Wright and Suzanne Wyatt.

The councillors who voted against the resolution were:-

The Deputy Mayor; Councillors Brian Bagnall, Sheila Bailey, Paul Bellis, Laura Booth, Walter Brett, Kate Butler, Richard Coaton, Dean Fitzpatrick, Colin Foster, Alexander Ganotis, Tom Grundy, Philip Harding, Brian Hendley, Linda Holt, Bryan Leck, Syd Lloyd, Tom McGee, Paul Moss, Chris Murphy, Maureen Rowles, David Sedgwick, Andy Sorton, Andrew Verdeille, Alanna Vine, Lisa Walker, David White, Wendy Wild, David Wilson and William Wragg.

To consider a report of the Leader of the Council (Policy, Reform & Finance) and to pass the appropriate resolutions setting the Council Tax for 2013/14.

The Leader of the Council (Policy, Reform & Finance) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the Council Tax for 2013/14 and the level of precepts for the Police and Crime Commissioner for Greater Manchester and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority.

RESOLVED – (29 for)

(1) That it be noted that on 7 January 2013, the following amount was approved by the Executive Committee as the Council's Council Tax Base for the financial year 2013/14:

(a)       87,639.46 for the whole Council area [Item T in the formula in Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the "Act")]

(2) That the Council Meeting approve the Council Tax Requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2013/14 as being £122,436,708.

(3) That the following amounts be calculated by the Council for the year 2013/14 in accordance with sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:

(a)       £607,352,811 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in section 31A(2) of the Act (Appendix Two).

(b)       £484,916,103 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in section  31A(3) of the Act (Appendix Two).

(c )       £122,436,708 being the amount by which the aggregate at 3(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 3(b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with section 31A(4) of the Act, as its Council Tax Requirement for the year (Item R in the formula in Section 31B of the Act). (Appendix Two).

(d)       £1,397.05 being the amount at 3(c) above, all divided by Item T (1(a) above), calculated by the Council, in accordance with section 31B of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year.

(e)       £0.00 being the aggregate amount of all special items referred to in section 34(1) of the Act

(f)        £1,397.05 being the amount at 3(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 3(e) above by the amount by Item T (1(a) above), calculated by the Council, in accordance with section 34(2) of the Act, as the basic amount of its council tax for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which no special item relates.

(4) That it be noted that for the year 2013/14 the Police and Crime Commissioner for Greater Manchester and the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority have issued precepts to the Council in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, for each category of dwellings in the Council's area as indicated in the table below.

(5) That the Council, in accordance with Sections 30 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby sets the aggregate amounts shown in the tables below as the amounts of Council Tax for 2013/14 for each part of its area and for each of the categories of dwellings.

(6) That the Council, in accordance with section 52ZB of the Local  Government Finance Act 1992 hereby determines that the Council’s relevant basic amount of council tax for 2013/14 is not excessive in accordance with the principles determined by the Secretary of State under section 52ZC of the Act.           

To consider a report of the Leader of the Council (Policy, Reform & Finance).

The Leader of the Council (Policy, Reform & Finance) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Council Meeting to consider the Treasury Management Strategy, the Annual Investment Strategy and the Minimum Revenue Provision Policy 2013/14.

RESOLVED – That approval be given to:-

(i)    The Minimum Revenue Provision Policy 2013/14;

(ii)  The Capital Expenditure forecasts and CFR projections;

(iii) The Treasury Management Strategy 2013/14;

(iv) The Treasury and Prudential Indicators and limits 2013/14-2015/16;

(v)  The Annual Investment Strategy 2013/14.